Larry Maguire, Conservative Brandon-Souris

Why do you want this job?

We live in a growing area, and I grew up in this area. I certainly want to continue the work that I've been doing. I grew up on afarm, and if things needed fixing, we just went out and fixed them, and I guess that's where I earned the work ethic that I've carried with me through my career, whether it's been in politics or in agriculture.

We're looking at a number of areas I feel very strongly about. All of the jobs in our region basically depend on the export of grain and livestock and oil. We've got Brandon University and Assiniboine Community College here. We're using those facilities, and we want to make sure that they continue to expand and help them with some projects to be able to make sure that they can train young people and those who want to retrain to get the education they need to be able to get the jobs that our employers out here are still demanding.

That's why I'm running again. I want to make sure that we finish the job. There's lots that we've been able to accomplish in the last 22 months and much more to do.

What's the biggest issue for the country and in your riding?

(For the riding): I think one of the most important issues that I'm seeing at the doors here is making sure that we keep taxes low and protect our economy by doing so. Keeping the transfer payments up to provinces so they can deliver the things that they are responsible for.

(For the country): The balanced budget, transfer payments to provinces and keeping the taxes low are really the key to a strong economic future. It's not the time to raise big deficits and debts on the backs of future generations, when we're in a time of balancing the budget and still being able to provide services toseniors and families as we have.

What would you do with the Senate?

I've indicated if we can't make the Senate accountable, we should abolish it. I think we're on the right track. The prime minister has done the right thing by asking the provinces to get together with a plan to look at it, and I think that's what we need to do.

Winnipeg was described as the most racist city in Canada. What would you do to combat racism?

I've welcomed different people from all parts of the world here. I deal with immigration allthe time. I'm very happy with the immigration we have here. These folks are coming in and needing a lot of the jobs that we have and meeting the requirements for a lot of things, like Maple Leaf, our hog processing plant here, and they're certainly filling a gap in the service industry we have as well. I've madeacquaintances with a lot of immigrants in my region, and I've become personal friends with many of them, and we continue to work strongly as they become Canadian citizens.

What role should the federal government play in dealing with climate change?

We're looking at sector-by-sector changes in regards to climate accountability in the future. Being the former conservation critic in the province of Manitoba, I'm very wellaware of the needs for our waters and land and air to keep them viable and strong. To use a slogan my father used to use, "If you take care of the land, it'll look after you."

If there was one government policy you think is done better in another country, what is it?

I don't offhand. I think we've got a very strong economy. We've got a strongmanufacturing sector, we've got a strong agriculture sector. Our service sectors are growing very well. Canada is leading the world in economic recovery from the'08 recession we are envied by many other parts of the world.

Under what circumstances is deficit spending a good choice?

No, not on a general basis. We had increased spending as an incentive in'09, because that was a true worldwide recession, and we don't have that now. We are back on track for balanced budgets, but it didhelp our manufacturing sector in all parts of Canada at the time.

What do you believe is the single most effective way to fight crime?

Just being tougher on crime. We want to give victims more rights than the criminals. We've brought forward a bill that we will use so that a sentence for life istruly a sentence for life. We want to keep the programs that we have. We want to keep all our dangerous criminals behind bars where they belong, so that we can have safety for more Canadians acrossthecountry.

What should be done about homegrown terrorism?

We've brought forward Bill C-51. It is a bill that allows our enforcement agencies to interact more with each other. We can trace who the people are that are in the jihadi terrorist movement. They're raping and pillaging and plundering their own citizens in Syria and Iraq, and we need to make sure that we are controlling that. They have declared war on us, and we're working with our allies in those areas to make sure that our small contribution is to contain those people in their own jurisdiction internationally. That's not something you can do on your own, and that's why we continue to work hard with other countries, so that we can control and restrict the movement of ISIS terrorists and try to keep our country safe.

If there was a gay pride parade in your riding, would you go? Why or why not?

I've attended in the past, and I don't have any problem with that. They're justthe same as any other organization.

Have either you or your family had a frustrating experience with the health-care system, and what would you do to fix the problem?

A lack of doctors in some of the rural areas. What we have done federally is toprovide an incentive for regions like this, to make sure that we continue to build a supply that helps the provinces and [that we] have good health care in our rural and remote regions.

What would you do to get morepeopleto vote?

I guess I continue to knock on doors rightacross our constituency. I've beenthrough every rural community a couple of times. We are using social media to help get people out on top of the door-knocking that we doevery night in Brandon, as well as our rural communities. I just make sure that I emphasis how important it is. We also had an all-party Rock the Vote afternoon here in Brandon back in late August to have the general public come out, so that theycould meet all of us as candidates. That's what the whole event was about, just emphasizing getting out the vote.

What's a better use of federal dollars: fixing roads or building rapid transit infrastructure?

In our area here,roads are extremely important. We've got a growing oil industry and a strong agricultural industry here, and so we need to be able to get our products to market.

Would you support legalizing a small amount of marijuana?Have you ever tried it?

No, I haven't tried it myself, and we're not in favour of that.

It leads to use of more hard drugs down the road and more crime in those areas. It doesn't do anything toenhance our economy, and we just want to continue to focus on the economy, because protectingthe economy of Canada and the safety of Canadians is a key to this election.